Last month in India Rajkumar Chaurasia axed his nine-month-old son to death as a sacrifice to the Hindu goddess Durga (Kali). Kali is famously the goddess of destruction, so Chaurasia committed the horrific crime to please her. He thought that the sacrifice would bring happiness to childless couples, according to police. As enlightened Westerners, we rightly recoil at such barbaric acts. If religion leads us to destroy, rather than to build up/inspire/encourage, then religion…
Some time ago I noted the importance of âcultural discernment,â the willingness to judge the culture in which we reside and minister lovingly and incisively. Paul did so with Crete especially (cf. Titus 1:12-13). This is simply a tangible acknowledgment of the doctrine of total depravity, that all have sinned and fall short of Godâs glory, that there is no one righteous, not even one. If this is trueâand it seems to be empirically verifiableâthen…
God made us to enjoy beauty and to imitate his wondrous creativity as an expression of worship (cf. Exodus 31:1-11). Unfortunately, the church today too often neglects the arts as a serious Christian pursuit. To address this deficiency, I will post some poetry occasionally as a reminder and challenge to all of us (myself included) to embrace the artistic as a means of embracing the Artist. This is a poem I wrote in 2001…
It seems to be the question on everyoneâs minds. How can those who proclaim a loving, forgiving God demonstrate such hatred and bigotry? Unfortunately, many self-proclaimed Christians have made this a legitimate question to ask, displaying undeniable cruelty to those God, in some sense at least, loves. But if a handful of Christians have made the question necessary, some on the other side of the debate have asked it without challenging the presuppositions behind…
A few of us were gathered recently to discuss the state of the church in the United States. One posed the question, âWould you rather be a missionary in a society that had freedom of religion or not?â It was an interesting query and caused a few moments of reflection. A surprising consensus developed gradually, however. We all agreed that we would rather be missionaries in a society that had freedom of religion, but…
Note from Brandon: This is an exciting moment for Follow After Ministries, as today we welcome our very first guest blogger. Justin Burkholder, on the pastoral staff at Grace Pointe Ministries and soon-to-be missionary to Guatemala City, shares his thoughts on how to engage the elusive postmodernist lovingly and sensitively. In reading this, I am reminded of the old witticism, “How will they hear unless we listen?” Before I say anything. I am neither…
One of the practical ramifications of âthe greatest commandmentââloving God with all of who we areâis the breakdown between the sacred and the secular. There are no longer some activities that are worshipful and spiritual, and others that are mundane and secular. As Paul says with as wide a sweep as any statement in Scripture, âwhatever you do, do it all for the glory of Godâ (1 Corinthians 10:31). However, acknowledging the breakdown is easy;…
The fourth in a short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Despite the Churchâs lax stance on the issue today, Scripture nevertheless commands and expects modesty from those who follow Christ. âToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heartsâ (Hebrews 3:7-8). Because the weather is unseasonably warmâswelteringly hot, at least where I amâit seems worthwhile to discuss swimwear in this short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Here especially…
The third in a short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Despite the Churchâs lax stance on the issue today, Scripture nevertheless commands and expects modesty from those who follow Christ. âToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heartsâ (Hebrews 3:7-8). If clothing should draw attention to whatâs inside a womanâs heart, rather than whatâs under the clothes, what can we do to ensure this is the case? In other…
The second in a short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Despite the Churchâs lax stance on the issue today, Scripture nevertheless commands and expects modesty from those who follow Christ. âToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heartsâ (Hebrews 3:7-8). Modesty matters because our clothing matters. Clothing has a purpose according to Scripture. If women are going to dress in God-honoring fashion, they must understand that purpose well and…